My aviation career has been one heck of a ride! I developed a passion for aviation during my dad’s military career. He served in an all Black infantry unit in Northern Italy and Northern Africa and also served during the Korean War. After WW II my father was based at an Army base just outside Kyoto, Japan and I was born there in 1948. During my dad’s Army career I started building model airplanes which motivated me towards a career in aviation. My senior year at Stadium I applied to the USAF Academy but did not receive an appointment. My years playing basketball at Stadium led to a 4 year scholarship to attend the University of Puget Sound. I played 4 years of varsity basketball there and enrolled in the USAF ROTC program.

In 1969 while at UPS I received my private pilot’s license at Tacoma Industrial airport and my aviation career was off and running.

I graduated in 1970 and was assigned to Undergraduate Pilot training at Williams AFB, AZ. While there I flew a Cessna 172, the T-37 and T-38 jet trainers. I broke the sound barrier in the T-38 and had the thrill of flying supersonic!

After graduating in 1970 I was assigned to a C-130 squadron at Forbes AFB just outside of Topeka, KS. While at Williams AFB I played on the base basketball team and during my year at pilot training our base team won the military basketball championship. I was selected to play on the ATC (Air Training Command) team after competing in the ATC basketball tournament at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. Our ATC team flew to McGuire AFB just outside of Trenton, NJ. Our ATC team won the world wide USAF Command basketball tournament championship. During my 6 years on active duty I played on many base teams and we won numerous base basketball championships.

I spent 2 years at Forbes AFB and in 1972 I was transferred to Little Rock AFB, AR where I was upgraded to aircraft commander and instructor pilot on the C-130. I served as an instructor pilot at the Little Rock replacement training unit. I instructed flight crews all over the world in the flying and tactical delivery tactics of the C-130.

While at Little Rock I became involved in Big Brothers and served in that organization for 30 years in various cities including Detroit, Chicago and Honolulu. I left active duty in 1976 to take a corporate flying job with General Motors flying the Convair 580 and the Sabreliner 75 for GM. While in Detroit I joined the 305th Aerospace and Recovery squadron at Selfridge AFB just outside of Detroit.While flying for the 305th I served on 2 NASA space shuttle launches as the rescue aircraft during two launches. I went on to fly 17 years in the USAF Reserves and retired from the USAF as a Lt Colonel from the 304th squadron at Portland International airport, Portland, OR. I went on to fly Air Rescue missions all over the world to include South America, Asia and Europe.

In 1979 I got hired by TWA and began my long commercial aviation career. While at TWA I served as a flight engineer on the B727. In late 1979 I was furloughed from TWA and in 1980 was hired by Eastern Airlines as a B727 flight engineer. While at Eastern I was based in Chicago, New York at JFK and Miami. In 1985 I was recalled by TWA and went on to be trained by TWA to my first first officer position on the DC9 and MD80. In 1987 I received my first Airline Transport Type rating on the B747-100. I left TWA IN 1991 and became the first Black pilot hired by Japan Airlines. I flew for JAL out of Anchorage, AK and Honolulu, HI

In 1997 while based in Honolulu with Japan Airlines (JAL) I became the first non Japanese first officer to be upgraded to Captain.

In the summer of 2001 I left JAL and accepted a captains position at United Parcel Service (UPS). While at UPS I flew the B757/B767 and the B747-400 out of Louisville KY. I turned 65 in 2013 and due to the mandatory retirement age I retired from aviation.

During my military and commercial aviation career out of 195 UN nations I have flown in an out of 75 countries. I have accumulated well over 50,000 hours of flying time and served during the Vietnam War and flew CRAF (Civil Reserve Air Fleet) for TWA and the USAF during Desert Shield and Desert Storm from 1990-1991.

In 2022 I received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for my 50 years in aviation without an incident or accident.

If you are ever in the museum of flight at Boeing Field you can find my name on the Military Wall of Honor with all the aircraft I have flown during my career. Hope that was not too long winded, but it’s been one incredible aviation career for me.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story!